specification: API Commons Rate Limits
specificationVersion: '0.1'
schema: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/interface-research/main/schema/api-commons.yml#/$defs/RateLimits
provider: GoalServe
providerId: goalserve
created: '2026-06-25'
modified: '2026-06-25'
reconciled: false
tags:
- Sports Data
- Live Scores
- Odds
- Fixtures
- Soccer
- Rate Limiting
- Quotas
- Throttling
description: >-
  GoalServe gates feed access through registration, a unique per-account API
  access key carried in the request path, and IP whitelisting for in-play
  feeds, rather than publishing explicit RPM/RPS request quotas. Feeds are
  polled over HTTP GET on recommended refresh intervals (live scores every few
  seconds, live stats around every 30 seconds); excessive polling beyond
  documented refresh rates is discouraged. Specific numeric request limits are
  not reconciled in this artifact.
notes: >-
  GoalServe documents recommended polling intervals and a 30-second
  staleness rule for in-play data (if updated_ts does not advance for more
  than 30 seconds, matches and odds are treated as suspended) rather than
  hard request-rate caps. Verify any account-specific limits with GoalServe
  during reconciliation.
sources:
- https://documentation.goalserve.com/v1/
- https://www.goalserve.com/en/sport-data-feeds/soccer-api/description
- https://www.goalserve.com/en/api-documentation
responseCodes:
  throttled: see provider documentation
limits:
- name: API Access Key
  scope: account
  metric: authentication
  limit: one key per account
  notes: Feeds require a unique private API access key carried in the request path.
- name: IP Whitelisting
  scope: account
  metric: source_ip
  limit: whitelisted IPs only
  notes: In-play / inplay feeds require the caller's IP address to be whitelisted.
- name: Live Score Polling
  scope: feed
  metric: refresh_interval
  limit: every few seconds (recommended)
  notes: Live score feeds refresh every few seconds; poll on the recommended interval.
- name: Live Stats Polling
  scope: feed
  metric: refresh_interval
  limit: ~30 seconds (recommended)
  notes: Live statistics feeds update roughly every 30 seconds.
- name: In-Play Staleness
  scope: feed
  metric: staleness
  limit: 30 seconds
  notes: If updated_ts does not advance for more than 30 seconds, odds and matches are suspended.
policies:
- name: Recommended Polling Intervals
  description: Poll each feed at its documented refresh cadence; avoid over-polling beyond the published intervals.
- name: Access Gating
  description: Access is controlled via registration, per-account API key, and IP whitelisting for in-play feeds.
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com